Community Engagement to Improve Male Partner HIV Testing at Songea Prison Dispensary in Tanzania

Male partner HIV testing is essential for family health. It allows men to know their HIV status along with their female partners, enabling them to plan their lives accordingly. When couples are aware of their HIV status, the HIV-negative partner can adopt effective preventive measures like PrEP and condom use early on, while the HIV-positive partner can start antiretroviral therapy immediately. HIV treatment not only suppresses viral load and enhances the health and well-being of the person living with HIV (PLHIV) but also prevents vertical transmission of HIV and transmission to the partner. Despite this importance, male partner testing at reproductive and child health (RCH) facilities in Tanzania, particularly at Songea Prison Dispensary, was below 68%. The Songea Prison Dispensary collaborated with the community to encourage men to get tested for HIV alongside their partners at RCH, following guidance from the USAID Police and Prisons Healthcare during supportive supervision. This collaboration led to improvements in male partner testing over time, achieved through adaptive management and the use of successful local approaches from other social interventions. These approaches included using street criers to promote attendance at the special 'Village Health Day,' where male partner testing was a key agenda item. As a result, the facility is witnessing a cultural shift among men living around Songea Prison Dispensary, with increased interest in their partners' health, accompanying them to clinics, and getting tested for HIV together. Currently, higher rates of joint testing are being observed compared to previous times.